Remember packing for a holiday a few years ago? Along with your clothes and essentials, you had to pack a bunch of hefty gadgets to get you where you were going and capture memories while you were there. For travel, and for life, these days you just need to grab your phone and go. Let’s look at a few things your cellphone has made happily obsolete!

Cameras

People still buy digital cameras – and in fact, big SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras have had something of a revival in recent years – but when’s the last time you saw someone with a little point and shoot? Smartphones are perfectly pocket-sized and have more features than ever.

The latest cellphone cameras blow many digital cameras out of the water. The new Huawei Mate Pro, for example, has a trio of main cameras that promise better focus, cleverer lighting and more settings. Even the pros are becoming phone camera converts!

Books and magazines

But you don’t have to travel far to fall in love with e-books and online mags. The variety, the convenience, and the instant access are more than enough factors to convince most people to click and read. There’s still something about a hard copy book – the smell of the paper, the heft of the cover – and of course, the advantage that you can lend it to all your friends and family when you’re done with it.

Alarm clocks

Having a separate alarm clock is no longer necessary because all smartphones have a clock feature that’s so handy most people don’t even bother with a watch anymore, either. You can even set it to the music of your choice, so no more beep, beep!

Maps and GPS

Kids in the future will never know the frustration of trying to follow a route in a map book that directs you to page 56, quadrant E5, and then to page 42 and then 37. Now, just open Google Maps and follow the prompts, and you’ll never be lost again. Probably.

Calendar

Your old wall calendar may have had pics of kittens, but it couldn’t remind you 15 minutes before your lunch date where you’re supposed to be. Plus, you can now choose to sync your calendar with your partner’s, so he/she never has an excuse to forget your anniversary.

Calculator

You’ve probably forgotten how to do calculus, and basic arithmetic might be close behind. After all, who still whips out a hefty calculator, when they can just access the app right from their home screens? Fights over restaurant bills are a thing of the past.

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